Wide Screen MP4 Playback - correct header and stream settings?

[aesmith]

Hi,

I've read comments about needing a fudge to get the Humax to play wide screen MP4 files correctly (set screen to 4:3 and format to Letterbox 16:9). That works but of course messes up the settings for anything else. Is there anything that can be done with the source MP4 so that the Humax correctly recognises the format? An example that I was looking at has a size of 1910 x 800 pixels so pretty much correct for wide screen at a pixel aspect ratio of 1:1. What is the Humax seeing in that file to make it stretch it out to 16:9? Or does the Humax simply ignore these flags and stretch to fit the screen?

Thanks, Tony S

 

[aesmith]

Looks like it may ignore the flags, just checked that MP4 and currently has PAR = 12800:12797 and SAR = 191:80 which look correct. And it plays correctly on the PC. So I guess the next question is how does it manage file which are recorded by the Humax itself, can we convert MP4 files into whatever form that needs to be?

 

[Black Hole]

You either use the fudge, or you re-encode the video to include black bars top and bottom - those are your only options.

 

[aesmith]

Cheers. The fudge comes out reasonably accurate as it happens.

re-encode the video to include black bars top and bottom

Is that how wide screen content is broadcast? Not something I've really thought about before.

 

[Black Hole]

The fudge comes out reasonably accurate as it happens.

We know!

Is that how wide screen content is broadcast?

It is. The HDR-FOX fills the specified screen with the video by stretching, whatever the input aspect ratio, so you always get the same however you present the video format and can only either play with the settings as above or use black areas in the actual video to create your required aspect ratio.

For more information, see Things Every... (click) section 16 and follow links from there.

 

[mihaid]

Hi,

I've read comments about needing a fudge to get the Humax to play wide screen MP4 files correctly (set screen to 4:3 and format to Letterbox 16:9). That works but of course messes up the settings for anything else

You can automate the reversal to normal settings once you finished the film